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Mounds View City Council December 13, 2010 Regular Meeting Page 2 1 7. COUNCILBUSINESS2 A. 7:05 p.m. Public Hearing – 2011 Tax Levy and Budgets for All Funds. 3 1. Resolution 7706, Adopting the 2011 Tax Levy. 4 5 Finance Director Beer stated on September 15th the Council approved a preliminary tax levy. 6 After numerous discussions, a final 2011 tax levy and budget were before the Councilfor7 approval. 8 9 Mayor Flaherty opened the public hearing at 7:07 p.m. 10 11 Brian Amundsen, 3048 Wooddale Drive, indicated the charter does allow for an increaseand12 questioned if the 3% increase was for the general fund or for all funds. Finance DirectorBeer13 explained the 3% increase was an increase over the tax levy of 2010 with the funds going intothe14 general fund. 15 16 Mr. Amundsen expressed concern about the decreases in LGA. He encouraged the Councilto17 view LGA as a bonus and not a given. He noted the State had to make a great deal of cuts dueto18 the economic climate. Finance Director Beer indicated the budget for 2011 does not includeany19 LGA funds. 20 21 Mr. Amundsen expressed his disappointed in the Council’s lack of leadership concerningthe22 budget. He felt there was a lack of new ideas brought forward and he has not seen a prioritylist23 of services necessary to residents. He urged the Council to deny the budget and speakfurther24 about the critical services that need to be provided by the City. Mr. Amundsen recommendedthe25 Council lead staff in this area and reduce the levy increase to 1% or 2%. 26 27 Mayor Flaherty explained $484,000 was taken out of the 2011 budget due to theadditional28 decreases in LGA funds. He felt this showed a great deal of leadership and initiative onthe29 Council’s behalf. He understood that residents did not want to see an increase in the tax levy, 30 and noted there has not been an increase in five years. The Council has been leading theway31 through this process and tough decisions have been made to sustain the budget going intothe32 future. He noted the Council and Staff worked diligently to reduce the need to use theLevy33 Reduction Fund. 34 35 Council Member Mueller added that staff has reduced spending and capital purchase in 2011. 36 She explained many purchases have been postponed. She felt the Council reviewed allthe37 numbers thoroughly and must provide essential services to the residents. She indicatedthe38 Council was working to minimize spending and eliminate all expenditures that werenot39 absolutely essential. 40 41 Hearing no additional public input, Mayor Flaherty closed the public hearing at 7:17 p.m. 42 43 Mayor Flaherty questioned when the openings in the police department would be filled. Police44 Chief Kinney stated the written scores have been received and estimated the departmentwould45